1990 – Eldest child reveals to neighbour that “daddy has been bonking me”

Essex council initiates child protection investigation and discovers that the children’s father had been convicted of indecently assaulting his daughter and son from previous marriage.

1990 – Father moves out of home but continues to have contact with his children, supervised by mother – who does not accept his conviction.

1991 – Allegations that father has been left in charge of his children do not appear to have been properly investigated by social services.

1993 – Council agrees to father taking children to school. Concerns are raised about children’s sexualised behaviour at school.

1994 – Father’s contact with children begins to be supervised by local authority. Evidence suggests he has been in family home without supervision.

Essex council begins a risk assessment on the father.

1995 – Mother places one child, ‘D’, in private fostering but placement never assessed and records indicate that father stayed overnight there. Records indicate that the mother told professionals D had been sexually abused by his father over two years.

1995 – One child, D, accommodated by local authority in foster home

Council again agrees that mother is suitable supervisor of contact between father and his children

Eldest child alleges in interview that father assaulted her.

1996 – Assessment concludes father poses high risk of reoffending and children should be protected from him.

Case conference fails to acknowledge past disclosures of sexual abuse and recommends father’s contact be supervised by mother and new partner.

1996 – Case remains unallocated for five months.

Essex council commences care proceedings for remaining three children.

1997 – Child and family psychiatric report commissioned from Great Ormond Street hospital reveals serious sexual abuse by father, and his brother, of all four children with knowledge of mother.

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